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Springfield man who attacked pregnant woman sentenced to 20 years

Springfield man who attacked pregnant woman sentenced to 20 years

Steve Wilson Jr. speaks to Clark County Common Pleas Judge Richard J. O’Neill during his sentencing. Wilson was sentenced to 20 years in prison. JEFF GUERINI/STAFF

A Springfield man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a brutal attack on a pregnant woman that included him pouring hot grease on her back.

Steven P. B. Wilson was convicted of felonious assault and domestic abuse. He is accused of beating a woman who was two weeks away from having their baby.

“This victim was, in my opinion, beat both physically and emotionally,” Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Lisa Hoying said. “She had puncture wounds on her shins. She stated that he used a metal fence post similar to what you would use for a stop sign to do that and she had bruises all over her body. She had a broken nose, a broken toe and she had burn marks on her back and on her right arm.”

The assault occurred in the 700 block of Sherman Ave. in Springfield between Jan. 27 and Jan. 31, according to court documents.

Wilson forced the woman in a bathtub where he made her choose whether to fight him for her life or suffer scolding hot grease on her back, Hoyin said.

“At that point, she was concerned for the safety of her child,” Hoying said. “She did take that grease and he burned her back pretty severely.”

The motive behind the attack was a fear that she was cheating on him, Hoying said.

“He ended up beating her over the course of the weekend and held her after that attack. He allowed her to go the hospital because she was in labor with their child,” Hoying said.

When the two got to the hospital she told police and medical staff that she had been in a car accident, Hoying said, but later disclosed she had been attacked.

However, Hoying said after some phone calls made to the victim by Wilson, her story changed again. The victim testified during the trial that the beating did not happen, Hoying said. However, her injuries and previous statements indicated that the attack did happen, she said.

“The story just didn’t match,” Hoying said.

The beating is one of the worst she had ever seen, she said.

“The amount of control this man had over the weekend … he has major control,” Hoying said.

Wilson spoke during his sentencing and maintained his innocence. He pointed to the woman’s testimony as proof he was innocent.